Granitepeaks Photo Album

Saturday, August 26, 2006

It Never Rains in August (Day 4)

So here's the scoop thus far. Our first day got rained out, effectively killing our 4 day backpacking trip, and on our second/third days, we didn't hike as much, but we didn't catch any fish to speak of either. So by Saturday morning, we were all pretty much footsore and fishless, having hiked some 21 miles and having very little to show for it. Time to try something different. Jump to the bottom and scroll up to see our day on the Bighorn!

We did keep 2 fish to take home for breakfast (kids 14 and under are allowed to keep one rainbow each). All told, Dad caught about 15, I caught around 12, and each of the boys caught 5 or 6. Nice day of fishing, to say the least...

So about this time (several hours LATER than he planned), Dad finally headed home while we stayed to fish a bit longer. Before he left he said, "Hey, I'll fly over the river as I take off, and you can take a picture of me." No problem, and off he goes. Then a short while later just as I hear the engine wind up, what happens? I tie into the biggest fish of the day. Oh shoot. This begins a mad scramble to try and land the fish in time to still get a shot of Dad taking off. Here I basically threw up the camera and snapped a few shots. Couldn't see him in the viewfinder, but they still turned out pretty good...

And here's Malachi, trying to actually touch one! One of the amazing things about the Bighorn is that not only can you see the fish, but they see so many fisherman that they're not all that alarmed by fisherman, and will line up to feed below you, sometimes getting within a couple of feet (I kid you not). Unfortunately, the fish you can see are usually extremely HARD to catch. Usually.

So here's the deal. Malachi and Grandpa flew down in the Stinson and landed at the strip by the Afterbay. Then they walked down the river a ways and fished for a couple of hours before we got there. Micah and I drove down separately, since we intended to stay longer. Here we are, arriving at a nice little hole (someone else is already there, fishing in the background).

It Never Rains In August (Day 3)

So the next morning, we rose before the sun did and set off across Hellroaring Plateau in search of some fish. Which we didn't find. But it was a great day, nonetheless (and we didn't even get rained on!). As usual, you can jump to the bottom and scroll up to see the day unfold chronologically.